


Boy, don't try to front.

by skyblue993



Series: Jonnor oneshots [31]
Category: The Fosters (TV 2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Drama, Fluff, Jonnor - Freeform, M/M, Oneshot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-17 10:23:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9319481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyblue993/pseuds/skyblue993
Summary: Three times Connor asks Jude out and Jude politely declines + one time Jude asks Connor out and he's the one declining, perhaps not too politely.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Title of this fic by the song "Womanizer." By Britney Spears.

“I wanted to ask you.. if you.. um.. if you maybe you were.. oh, Jesus. Why is this fucking hard?” Jude’s sweating and randomly waving his hands in the air as he tries to come up with words.

The boy standing across from him doesn’t even flinch. He keeps staring at Jude with deliberate disregard. Only then, Jude realizes what a brainless idiot he's been for the past few weeks and this? This is his punishment.

“W-will you go to prom?” Jude knows it’s completely useless to add, “With me.” But alas. He says it anyway.

He looks almost sorry as he breathes. “I’m going with someone else.”

Jude absolutely does nothing to hide the heartbroken sound that escapes from his Throat.

 

_Three weeks earlier._

 

It’s not like Jude is being mean on purpose. Well, yeah okay, probably a part of him is probably is, but how can he be blamed? Connor Stevens. The golden boy, lacrosse player, most popular and acclaimed boy in the whole school, badass diva of Anchor Beach high, approaches him and his only friend Taylor, leaning over the lunch table where they're currently sitting. Jude’s mostly unaware of his presence until he gets startled by the huge shadow hovering above them, not by Connor’s unmistakable cologne -  _absolutely not -_ waiting for them to raise their commoner's eyes and finally deem him worthy of the due attention.

Jude can tell the sound Connor makes from the back of his throat is not caused by his throat getting dry. It sounds more like wake-up call, as to make them aware that he's gracing them with his presence.

If Jude has to verbalize that sound, It would pretty much sound like. _“Um.. hello, plebeians? I’m here.”_

Jude carefully poses his sandwich back inside of the counter, because he'd rather not choke on food when Connor Stevens is addressing to him.

“Hello.”

“Hello, Jude.”

There we go.

Jude should have known.

Taylor sounds just mildly concerned as he asks him, “Jude? You okay?”

“Yeah..” Jude’s so embarrassed. How in the world is he capable of choking on air it will always remain a mystery, no matter how many reasons he has up his sleeve, when Connor is around Jude turns into a freaking mess, not that the rest of the time he's this cool, self-confident, smooth guy... alas.

“Um.. you.. do you know my name?”

He wants to slap himself for being so middle school at the age of seventeen.

“ _For God Sake. Get a grip.”_  He imposes himself as he watches Connor throw his head backward, letting out a soft laugh which makes Jude wonder what angels laughter sound like and if sound just as perfect as Connor's.

“Yeah.. of course I know your name.” He tells him after he's sobered up, even though Jude notices –- not that he's staring for some odd reasons at Connor's lips in a way that reminds some dry-aged aged in the middle of the desert-- the way the corner of his lips are somehow twitching up, trying to refrain a smile.

“ _Make yourself at home, bud.”_  Jude wants to tell him _. “You can smile, man. Can you smile? Oh for the love of the Lord, please smile! He's smiling! He's smiling. Holy freaking-- could you stop now? I feel my mouth starting to water and if I start drooling right now, I might as well go getting forms for homeschooling.”_

“Okay.”

Oh, don't look at the poor boy like that. He's trying.. at least he's managed to utter one monosyllable without making a fool of himself and it's something huge for someone that's on the verge of having a stroke in the cafeteria, okay?

“What can I do for you?”

“Oh yeah.” Connor shows that, charming and absolutely breath-taking smile that doesn’t make Jude almost faint right there, at Connor’s feet. “I got two tickets for the Padre’s game, tonight and I was wondering--“

Jude’s palms start sweating, the rate of his heart beats increasing over the average.

I _t’s not happening. It’s not. You’re gonna wake up soon, and you’re probably gonna have to change the sheets cause Connor Stevens is asking you out. Oh my God. It’s real. It’s real! Angels are singing. Well, the only angel here is about to asking you out! He’s asking you out!_

Bep.. bep.. bep..

Oh my, He’s... and then he hears the sound of the encephalogram going flat.

“Would you like to go with me?”

_Answer. Close your mouth and give this kid a reason to not mock you in front of the whole school._

“I’ll..”  _be cool._  “ I’ll check my agenda and I’ll let you know.”

_Your agenda? You’re fuckin-- you know what? I’m done. I’m officially done with you. You’ll have to return the brain-mouth filter God has provided you when you were born because it’s completely useless._

Jude notices the way Connor’s lips are slightly twitching like he’s trying to hold back a laugh. Jude doesn't blame him. His _wild_ weekend consists of watching The vampire Diaries reruns and play Just dance 2016 With Taylor. It's comprehensible if Connor's probably wondering if Jude owns an agenda in the first place.

He does appreciate the effort, though, as Connor replies (Still with that freaking smile on his lips.) “Okay. Let me know before the last bell rings.”

Jude just nods, cracking a weak smile in return while deciding to ignore the sound of giggles coming from his left.

When Connor's completely out of sight, Jude looks at his friend with eyebrow raised in confusion. Taylor puts her hands over her mouth as to hold back the wave of giggles but failing miserably. Taylor throws him a look of pure empathy.

“You got some salad stuck in your teeth.”

  
Jude has known the answer to that question way before the words left Connor’s mouth, but there’s no need for him to know that. He heads towards the gym where he knows he’ll find Connor. He’s about to step inside when he hears Connor’s name on some cheerleader’s lips, sitting on a bench few feet away from the main entry. A girl he recognizes as Daria, is stretching her arms. A look of awe on her suntanned face.

“Connor’s hands, I swear...”

Jude’s heart stops beating for a  _painfully_ long moment.

“I know, right?” Maddie smirks, a knowing look on her face that Jude doesn't quite appreciate.

“I felt so sore after practice, yesterday! God bless him, he told me to come over if I wanted.. you know some of the  _magic touches_.”

“Yeah.” Daria laughs, “He told me right after you left.”

Jude's eyes go completely wide. He knows it's rude to eavesdrop other's people conversations but _fuck it._ It's a legit feedback on the boy that invited him out for a date. It's Jude's indissoluble right, especially when there's a high risk he's gonna make a fool of him in front of the entire school.

_Beep. No thanks, I'll pass._

He walks away with heavy steps, murmuring under his breath what an asshole Connor Stevens is. He should have known. Connor has never shown interested in boys. He's always surrounded by all these girls which now, connecting the dots, it actually makes sense.

“Fuck him.”

He realizes he doesn't have Connor's number so he distractedly rips a piece of paper from his drawings book and writes on it. “Can't make it tonight. I have this family thing and it requires my presence. Sorry.”

It's lame. He knows it is, but since Connor clearly wants to make a fool of him, he doesn't really care about how this piece of the paper presents itself. He just sticks in between the windscreen wiper and the windshield of Connor's car and leaves.

 

++

Jude doesn't really know what to do about this guy. It was cute and completely heart rendering at the beginning but now things are starting to get out of hands because,  _Yes._  He's been crushing on Connor since he was basically a fetus with belly fat and braces.  _Yes._ He's been the one starring in his fantasies during his very first (and consecutive) Jerking off sessions,  _No.No.No._ He's not gonna be a victim of Connor's schemes. No matter how may times he asks him out and how cute he looks, okay? Jude's a loser but he has some dignity... deep down, in some remotely dark corner of his chest but he still got it. That's what matters the most.

Jude's just slammed his locker shut. He almost loses ten years of life when, the first thing he sees when he jerks around is the gorgeous sight of Connor's eyes staring into his own, with so much hope into those hazel diamonds that Jude's almost tempted to fall down on his knees and worship him.

  
“Hey.."

“Hey there.” Connor smiles, which makes Jude rolled his eyes to the back of his head. Why does he have to be this gorgeous?

“I hope you had fun at the family-- was it a dinner? Reunion?”

“Dinner. Yes.. I..I had fun.” Jude looks down for a moment, unable to keep up with Connor's intense gaze. He feels a soft blush tinging his cheeks when he hears Connor say.

“I'm glad.. well.. not too much glad since you had to cancel our date but.. maybe we could reschedule? Like tonight, maybe?”

_Fuck._

Jude's clearing his throat, suddenly gone dry.

_What do I do? Fuck what do I say, now? He's looking at me. Think fast, oh my God. I'm a menace to the whole mankind.”_

“Tonight? Um.. That would be just perfect.”

_Think fast. Think fast._

“Is it? Really?”

Connor, Jude realizes, has a really good potential for winning an Oscar. Wow. Best performance that he's ever seen. His voice sounds almost genuinely hopeful. How the hell does he manage to make it sound so sincere?

He's about to utter one of his pathetic excuses when a squeaky voice intrudes in the conversation.

Jude's not sure if to be grateful or not since it belongs to Daria.

“Hey, Con.” Daria approaches the both of them and when Jude's sure he's saved from Connor's piercing gaze, he finally looks up. As predicted Connor's looking at the curly girl hugging him from behind.

He manages to keep his expression completely steady and almost bored (He guesses he's not a half bad of an actor as he thought he'd be.) when she kisses him on the right cheek.

“Hey, D.”

 

She doesn't even look at Jude, much to Jude's appreciation, as she says in what Jude might consider a whisper, into Connor's ear. “We're still on for this afternoon?”

Jude's face wrinkles in irritation. He manages to hold back a snort trying to escape his lips and the sound of his heart being shuttered into his chest.

Connor throws a quick subtle look into Jude's direction and says, “I think we'll have to reschedule.” Daria snort, a pout of plain disappoint tugging down her plump lips.  “Okay, let me know when you're free for..  _you know.._ ”

That's it.

Jude has heard enough. “You know what, Connor?” Jude's being met by both of their eyes snapping into his direction at the sound of Jude's stern voice, abruptly piping into their conversation. “I have a thing tonight so feel free to make plans.”

He hears the distinctive sound of Daria's voice says. “What's his deal?” as he walks away. Connor calls his name two times but Jude absolutely refuses to turn around.

 

_Fuck him._

 

+++ 

 

The last time is so calamitous that actually leaves Jude completely drained out of basically everything he has to give.

Prom's behind the corner and Jude's more than ready to spend the night at home playing Just dance and drowning his sorrows in junk food. He's already made his plans when suddenly Connor Stevens decides to crush them all. He'd be more than welcome to crash his plans and ask him to prom if Connor wasn't the owner of a bawdy-house, because he's clearly is, considering all the gossip he's heard about Connor's hands and touch and being the ladies idol.. what other explanations would he give Jude to explain his peculiar kinks?

Anyway... Jude's walking to the parking lot with Taylor, one day, and just like that, jumping out of nowhere like straight out of teenage movies, he finds Connor Stevens blocking his way to his car, on one knee and holding a freaking stuffed heart with “Prom?” Written in it.

Jude's face gets completely flushed at the sight. He thinks his heart's not made for this kind of surprises, that's probably why he feels Taylor's tiny hands reaching for his own.

He looks around himself and everyone's smiling or giggling, whispering into another person's ear and stuff like that. He notices the whole cheerleader's squad laughing from behind Connor and Jude's heart sinks when he sees Daria pulling out her phone, ready to record this whole charade.

“W-what's going on?”

Connor smiles, charming and perfect as usual. Jude notices that the bashful blush spreading on his cheeks looks really good on his sunkissed skin. Connor's still smiling as he clears his throat before asking, “Will you go to prom with me?”

Jude's eyes make contact with Daria's and the whole cheerleader's squad standing behind Connor. It feels like behind catapulted in a movie and this moment precedes the part when the whole school makes fun of him, no matter how good and cute and oh God, so hot, Connor looks right now. It doesn't matter how badly he wants to say yes. How he's waited his whole life for this moment. It doesn't matter that he's breaking his own heart.. because the only thing that matters, right now is that Connor's straight and he doesn't return his feelings.

“No thanks.”

He swears he's never witnessed, from the first moment his eyes laid on Connor, his smile to miserably fall off his face like this.

If Jude didn't know better, he'd say that he's just broken Connor's heart.

There are general gasping and whispers coming from the people gathered in circle around them. Jude's unable to move from his spot. He's completely frozen even if his mind is screaming at him to just get the hell away from here as fast as he can before the group of hyenas that yes, are already threatening him beneath those long eyelashes to run if he wants to survive the day, eat him alive.

Connor stands up without saying a word. It'd be probably for the best but it's actually not. It hurts Jude like a punch in the stomach, The constricting sensation he feels settling in his chest actually doesn't get better when he sees Connor drops the heart into the nearest dumpster, without sparing any glance at it before climbing into his car.

 

Taylor hugs him before going on separate ways, telling him to call her if he needs anything or just to rant with someone. She climbs into her father's car, throwing him one last sympathetic smile through the window.

Jude walks to his car and he's not really surprised to find the cheerleader's squad waiting for him. Daria's glare is capable of burning a hole through his head. She's leaning against the side of the car, arms crossed against her chest and a gaze that screams _“Prepare to die.”_

 

“Hello, ladies.”

“ 'The fuck is wrong with you? Aren't you gay?” Daria spits out, chewing her bubble gum very gracelessly for a lady if you ask Jude.  
“I am.” Jude replies, gulping down saliva.

“Then I think it's clearly time for a revision cause we've just seen you turning down the, hands down, hottest gay guy you, little twerp, could ever wish for.”

Jude's brain short-circuits for the tenth times during the day.  _“_ _Gay guy?”_  
Daria sighs, addressing to the blonde next to her, “What does Connor find in him?”

“Dunno.” The blonde says with an air of indifference. “Something is definitely wrong with Connor since he's turned down Troy's invitation to prom in favor of asking this little thing.”

“Okay, Ladies. Stop with the compliments.. you're making me blush.” Jude murmurs under his breath before letting out a gasp when Daria strides towards him with fierce eyes and pissed off frown tugging down her perfect, lip-glossed lips.  
“Answer this question. Where will you even find someone like Connor beside porn websites ?!”

“I... B-But.. He's straight!” Jude shrieks, hissing when Daria's perfect manicured nails start digging on his hip.

“Where the hell did you hear that?!”

Jude rolls his eyes, feeling sweat running down his forehead. “From you!”

“What in the frigging hell you're babbling about?!”

“ _Connor's hands? His magic touch?_ The fact that you all of you are making appointments to hang out at his place? Pick one.”

Daria's eyes go wide for the briefest second in incredulity, all of the girls let out a gasp of utter outrage making Jude aware of the accusation he's just made.

“Are you perhaps implying that we're whores?!”

Jude doesn't really know how to answer that question. The answer is yes but he's not mad at them. Not really.

“Then what's the deal with you, huh? What's this magic touch you've always rambled about ?!”

  
“His massaging technique, _you whore_.” Daria spits out angrily. “We're constantly sore by cheerleading practice and Connor's hands are the best thing your tiny little _pencil_ could ever wish for. Too bad.. you've lost your chances.”

“Are you kidding me?!”

“I wish I did, boo.” Daria takes one step backward, leaving him panting and confused before facing the rest of his squad. “Ugh. He's completely useless. Let's leave him here basking in his own existence. Come on sluts, I'm buying froyos.”

 

Jude stands there, breathless and wide-eyed until there's no one left in the parking lot. He's got everything wrong. Connor's gay and.. the moron has turned him down, three times!

“I have to talk to Connor.” he murmurs under his shaky breath as he climbs into his car. He texts his moms telling them that he's gonna be a bit late and turns the engine on.

He's been to Connor's house, just once.. well.. he hasn't exactly been _to_ Connor's house. He was walking home with Taylor one night, getting home from the taco place and he's walked past this house with white fences and well-shaped bushes and then his eyes, lit up, just like the rest of his body, when he saw Connor taking out the garbage.

Okay, it wasn't the most romantic sight ever but Jude swore their eyes met for the briefest second. He also swore that the corners of Connor's lips tugged up in the smallest of smiles but that was probably just a projection made by his mind.

It's known that dry-aged man in the middle of deserts tends to start hallucinating, isn't it?

 

So.. yeah.. back at the beginning of this not so romantic fairytale, turns out that Connor has a date for this prom, who was supposed to be Jude but then Jude thought Connor was a womanizer/owner of a bawdy-house which looking at it with his own eyes, it's really not, so he graciously screwed everything up; Connor's interest in him, The chances to go to prom, The chance to lose his virginity, one day, The chance to quench his thirst for Connor's lips... Jude's doomed to be stuck in the middle of the _desert_ for the rest of his days.

 

 

_Present time._

 

He can't deal with Connor's blank stare for more than three seconds. He turns around, ready to reach for the doorknob when Connor's sharp voice suddenly makes him freeze on his steps.

“Why this sudden change of heart? I mean.. I asked you out, several times and you always said no. Why, now?”

Jude lets out a loud exhale of breath, slowly turning around. He's met, once again, by Connor's mouth-watering eyes, but this time, with a slight glimpse of sadness in it. The mask of cold is clearly starting to break down.

“I thought y-you were just messing with me. I.. I now how this sounds, okay? Don't give me that look. I thought you were just trying to humiliate me in front of the whole school.”

Connor's eyes widen in shock. “ _I_  was trying to humiliate _you i_ n front of the whole school? What about today? I exposed myself completely, trying to do something romantic for you, and you rejected me in front of everyone, huh? I was fucking kneeled down in front of you! And you talk about being humiliated in front of the whole school? Man, are you for real?”

“I know.. I.. I know what it might look like but It was a defense mechanism. I.. I really thought you were straight.. and then, and then Daria told me about the whole massages thing and I felt so stupid and--”

“Defense mechanism?” Connor's mouth falls open, Disbelief clear on his face. “From what?”

“From you!” Jude spits out, his face completely flushed from embarrassment. “I came to say yes, that first time. I came to find you and then I heard Daria praising your _hands_ and magic _touch_ and I just.. I misinterpreted her words. I thought you were this infamous womanizer and I just had the confirmation that Someone like you could never be interested in someone like me.” 

Connor's visibly drained by something.. it's probably the sight of Jude, or by Jude's rejections, or Jude's teary eyes. It has to do something with Jude cause he lifts his hand and runs it through his hair, looking at any point of the room but _Jude._

“Please.. just go.”

It doesn't take a degree to figure that Jude's not welcomed to Connor's sight, anymore. He sounds tired, disheartened, wounded like someone just walked on his puppy's tail.

“I'm sorry, Connor.”

“Yeah.” Connor gives a sad, hollow laugh before finally looking into Jude's distressed eyes. “Me too.”

 

Jude makes good use of his resolutions.

He indeed spends the night of the prom at home, the only difference is made by the absence of Taylor, been invited at the last minute to the prom, so yeah.. Jude's officially the ultimate loser in San Diego,. That thought intensifies in the back of his mind when he starts playing Just Dance, completely alone, in his room and only then he feels like he's reached and stepped over the borderline, diving head to toes in the ditch of lameness.

He heads downstairs for a snack and as he's bingeing over marshmallows, he hears someone knocking at the door. His gaze falls on the clock and he can't help the frown spreading across his features as he walks to the door. It's 11.30 pm. Who the hell would that be at this late of night?

He opens the door with a look of pure annoyment written all over his face, which, quickly turns into genuine confusion when he finds Connor, dressed in this perfect dark blue suit and prom king crown resting graciously over his head, standing right outside of his door.

“Um... hi?”  
Connor smiles and Jude has to admit that he's missed this little, subtle smile that apparently Connor reserves to only him. “Hey.”

“Dude, what are you doing here? It's almost midnight..” He can't help but notice that Connor's holding another small crown in his hand. His heart starts racing at the possibilities of what that could mean.

“I've been crowned prom king.” Connor tells him, his voice soft and absolutely endearing to Jude's ears. “I.. you know, I had to slow dance with the prom queen, as a tradition, and as I was dancing with Daria... I couldn't stop thinking that it should have been you.”

Jude's breath catches in his throat, his heart beats racing erratically when Connor hands him over the crown. “We can't change the course of events but I'd like to have my  _real,_  first dance with you.”

Jude's shaky hands reach for the crown. He tries to put his correctly over his head but his trembling hands just refuse to collaborate, that until Connor, takes a step towards him, his hands fixing the crown on Jude's head. Jude lets his eyes to flutter close for a long moment when Connor's nose brushes slightly against his own. “There.”

This moment is everything. Jude swears if Connor doesn't hold him, he might pass out before the song's even started. Connor fumbles with his phone, scrolling through the songs on his Spotify playlist. Jude almost has a fit when the voice of Celine Dion starts playing through the speakers.

“Can I ?”

“S-sure.”

Jude rushes inside for a moment, leaving Connor quite dumbfounded, quickly replaced by a smile when Jude closes the door behind himself, “Keys.”

“Sure.” Connor says. “I totally got that.”

Jude smiles cause he can tell it's a shameful lie.

Connor holds his hand out for him and Jude happily lets Connor tug him into a tight embrace. The moment their bodies make contact it's like being crossed by fireworks bursting into Jude's whole body. Jude might legit straight up die, right now. He hopes not, though. He wants to savor this moment, cherish it until his last breath.

He closes his eyes, unable to wipe the smile off his face, when Connor's hand gently rests on his hip while the other one gently caresses him on his back. 

He can feel the outline of Connor's lips pressing against his neck and causing a wave of goosebumps to burst across his skin whenever Connor gently breaths against the warm expanse of skin, that until his lips faintly start trailing upwards. Jude's too self-absorbed by Connor's scent to take awareness of how close their lips are. He does notice, though -- It's impossible not to-- when Connor presses a soft, chaste kiss on his lips.

Jude's eyes and head shoot upwards.

“S-sorry, I thought that you..” Connor's unable to finish this sentences cause Jude's lips falls against his own, cutting off whatever nonsense apologize he was about to make.

They keep kissing until the song it's over and even when there's no music playing, anymore, they're completely unable to stop.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave your feedback on this fic. :) 
> 
> I'm on twitter: En_sky9
> 
> tumblr: Skyblue993


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